Directorate of Policy Planning and Project Development (DPPPD)

Directorate of Policy Planning and Project Development (DPPPD)

Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning Sierra Leone

The Directorate of Planning, Policy and Project Development supports policy formulation, project development, programme monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, operational planning, research and organizational development in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning.

The responsibilities of the DPPPD include the following:

  1. Strategy Alignment: The DPPPD will ensure that projects that are undertaken in the various departments of the Ministry are aligned to the medium- and long-term strategic goals of the Ministry. Thereby ensuring that the Ministry is spending its resources on the ‘right things’.
  2. Project/Programme Management and Evaluation: The DPPPD will ensure that scope, budget and schedule of projects and programs are well managed, monitored and evaluated. It may introduce checks and reviews to improve the quality of project outputs, ensure better risks and issues resolution.
  3. Strategic Planning: The DPPPD is responsible for the department’s planning and reporting functions, which includes: Strategic Plans, Operational Plan, Special Project Planning, Requests for Proposals (RFP), Annual Work Plan.
  4. Policy Research: The DPPPD is responsible for the following:
    1. Legislative and Regulatory review
    2. Policy Statements, Reports and Background Papers
    3. Policy Monitoring and Response
  5. Training: The DPPPD Unit with its expertise in project management will provide periodic training to project/program managers and staff, and coordinate professional level certifications related to project management.
  6. Resource Mobilization and Management: The DPPPD will help with strategic resource planning and project prioritization resulting in better utilization of resources and improves efficiency.
  7. Standardization: The DPPPD will ensure standardization of processes, methodologies, project management practices and tools across the Ministry. This ensures all departments are talking the same language and brings out better synergy. It also drives continuous improvement of processes and project management practices.
  8. Coordination: The DPPPD will coordinate and improve communication between departments reporting to administration, and between the Ministries. This results in improving risks and issues resolution.
  9. Central Tracking, Auditing and Reporting: The DPPPD will track and periodically audit all projects and programs to check for compliance for standard practices. It will prepare reports for the administration in the way that helps them to take critical decisions.

Directorate of Policy Planning and Project Development Programmes

National Land Reform Programme (NLRP)

The NLRP is geared towards the effective implementation of the National Land Policy (NLP). The formulation of the NLP, which has been identified as one of the best on the African continent, was informed by the Voluntary Guidelines and other international best practices. The NLP was approved by Cabinet in November 2015, and launched subsequently by His Excellency The President in 2017. It aspires to improve upon and strengthen the existing land administration and management systems and land laws, particularly by improving the policy environment to promote good land governance, and enhancing technical capacity to enhance tenure security. The Policy also recognizes the need for new approaches and procedures for establishing property rights in ways that would encourage investment and rising productivity (especially in agriculture) and give landholders and local communities a greater stake in Sierra Leone’s economic future, and to provide transparent and accountable governance of the country’s considerable natural resources.

Voluntary Guidelines for Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forest within the Context of Food Security (VGGT).

The VGGT framework supports the implementation of the NLP. It is designed to help safeguard the important rights of Sierra Leoneans to own or access land, forests and fisheries. The VGGT outlines principles and practices that governments can refer to when developing policies, laws to administer land, fisheries, forests rights and other natural resources.

The implementation of the VGGT is coordinated by the VGGT Secretariat, which he is hosted within the DPPPD at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning. It provides secretariat duties and responsibilities to the implementation of the NLP and the VGGT in Sierra Leone.